Internationally poverty has been recognised as a violation of human dignity and, when a consequence of government policy, a violation of human rights. What does this mean for women seeking asylum who are forced into poverty in the UK, asks Amanda Gray.

The European Commission is awaiting information from the Italian authorities on recent incidents involving giant cruise ships in the Venice Lagoon sailing dangerously close to the shore, a practice that led in January 2012 to the maritime disaster of the Costa Concordia. EurActiv Italy reports.

The Commission wants to ensure no disaster occurs following the incursion in June of the 140,000-ton cruise ship MSC Divina in the Venice laguna and a near-collision between the Carnival Sunshine and the Riva dei Sette Martiri on 27 July.

The ability of Europe’s forests to absorb carbon dioxide is heading towards saturation point, threatening one of the continent’s main defences against global warming, a study showed yesterday (18 August).

Forests from Spain to Sweden are getting older, packed with trees less able to soak up CO2 emissions, which are blamed for rising world temperatures, rising sea levels and increased heatwave and flood risk, experts said.

An influential committee in the British Parliament has requested permission to ?vet? the candidate set to replace Britain’s permanent representative to the European Union in Brussels.

Sir Jon Cunliffe, the UK?s permanent representative to the EU, is leaving Brussels to join the Bank of England as deputy governor. Ivan Rogers, who is currently working as Prime Minister David Cameron?s adviser on Europe and global issues, is expected to be named in the coming weeks as Cunliffe?s replacement.

European Union governments will this week question how to best use their economic ties with Egypt to pressure Cairo’s army-backed rulers into finding a peaceful compromise with supporters of deposed Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

At stake could be a ?5 billion package of grants and loans promised by the EU, its member governments and international financial institutions last year, as well as various trade incentives, EU officials and experts say.

The Spanish government’s determination to manipulate public television and treat viewers as idiots is backfiring. Liz Cooper reports on the response of the private sector, backed by social networks and free press